Make it Your Own

On Michelle Ward's GPP Street Team, the Crusade for this month is "Make It Your Own." Michelle says in her post on this topic, "When you follow directions, as you would a recipe, or copy a project from a magazine - that is craft. Personalizing, interpreting, processing through your own filters, is art."


In the beginning, when I was starting this adventure in the art world, I would admire an artist's work and be so curious on how it was created, that I would start the process of copying the work to see if I could reproduce it in order to learn the techniques. I was not taking classes at that point. I would never finish these projects because they were not my own. I have to remind myself that by making it my own -- it is mine.

I remember when Where Women Create came out, I saw a notebook that Jenny Doh had created and it was for sale. I loved her design. It was simple, creative, and I wanted it. I kept going back to the web site and it wasn't up and running. Kept going back, and it wasn't up and running. DRAT. I did go back one day and guess what. It was sold out. Hmmmmmm. I never did figure that one out.

So, I decided I could use the basic design and make it my own. I quit pouting (I love pouting but no pays attention to me).... and made me my own using the basic idea. When it was done, it wasn't close to her design but I loved it. I am now using that notebook for cutouts from my Where Women Create magazines.



I know, not close but it is my own..... and I do love it. I worked on one other project from that issue. I saw a bowl that was a beautiful blue with tickets around it. I really think I was drawn to the color of the blue:



As you can see, I cut out the image and journaled underneath it. I then went into my kitchen and found a similar bowl and started to create. I have always liked this bowl because it reminds me of my grandmother's bowls - I have two of hers and this is not one of them *wink*.....





I had some tickets stamped with "hug" which I bought at a store in Rhode Island. Yes, I was hording them and bought them in 2007. OK, they worked. I glued them on with Tacky Glue.


It's fun and it holds a lot of stuff! So, thank you Michelle for reminding me of the importance to make it my own.